Booby Birds are well known for their population on Halfmoon Caye. And while the Booby Bird earned its name for not being very bright, Belizean illustrator Ian Gibson hopes to show that even this much maligned bird has a lesson of personal worth and self esteem that is valuable. He'd illustrated a new book which shows the birds as organized, empowered and entertaining. We learned more about it today when it was launched at the Image Factory.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The idea for Booby Trap was born in Caye Caulker and it came from illustrator Ian Gibson's mother, noted Belizean biologist Janet Gibson.
Ian Gibson, Artist
"At Caye Caulker one day we were looking at the birds hovering in the air and she was saying let's have a tale of the Booby Birds as this downtrodden proletariat, one could say, and the birds being the oppressors, stealing their fish everyday."
So it became a children's book with an overt message of self worth and perseverance.
Ian Gibson,
"That's one of the things I am very subtly teaching to people, that you might be oppressed in life but if you have the will power you can overcome anything. The Booby Birds were, they got their names because they were supposedly stupid but they can learn and in spite of it they can use their strength and everybody has strengths and weaknesses so focus on your strength and you can overcome anything. So that's basically the moral of the tale."
But the moral of the story isn't designed to club readers over the head. The stylized illustrations are first of all entertaining.
Ian Gibson,
"Its something that can be entertaining to them because especially in these days children are having less and less attention span so you need to communicate to them in new ways and Booby Trap is a way to keep it fun and entertaining but very subtly include some thing that is educational, even though they might not realize it at the time."
And Gibson says he hopes it is the first in a series.
Ian Gibson,
"This will be the beginning of a series possibly. One idea was having one about the Nassau Groupers because of their declining population. I was also thinking about whale sharks and just various ecosystems of Belize and having a quirky tale about its inhabitants. I just hope that this is successful enough to spawn a series."
The book is sold at the Image Factory and should be available widely. Gibson originally did it for a project at his school, the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design.
